In the sense of destitution, human wretchedness, and powerlessness, poverty is a permanent feature of medieval society, inescapable for many men and women. Some virtuous, self-denying people voluntarily chose a life o...In the sense of destitution, human wretchedness, and powerlessness, poverty is a permanent feature of medieval society, inescapable for many men and women. Some virtuous, self-denying people voluntarily chose a life of poverty, usually with a sense of advancing in Christian spirituality. Often associated in moral writing with covetousness, poverty figures among the vices to avoid. In literary works, some instances of poverty and its victims have acquired exemplary value, as is the case of Yvain＇s encounter with three hundred women silk workers in Chr6tien de Troyes＇s 12th-century romance Le Chevalier au lion and its socio-economic implications. Two particular literary contexts are studied here： firstly, where poverty is a temporary condition, susceptible to change, that is improvement, by virtue of courtly-chivalrous action; and secondly, where poverty provides an effective means of disguise, despite possible dangers. While serving the narrative purpose, an ever-present aspect of reality was thus impressed on the audience展开更多
文摘In the sense of destitution, human wretchedness, and powerlessness, poverty is a permanent feature of medieval society, inescapable for many men and women. Some virtuous, self-denying people voluntarily chose a life of poverty, usually with a sense of advancing in Christian spirituality. Often associated in moral writing with covetousness, poverty figures among the vices to avoid. In literary works, some instances of poverty and its victims have acquired exemplary value, as is the case of Yvain＇s encounter with three hundred women silk workers in Chr6tien de Troyes＇s 12th-century romance Le Chevalier au lion and its socio-economic implications. Two particular literary contexts are studied here： firstly, where poverty is a temporary condition, susceptible to change, that is improvement, by virtue of courtly-chivalrous action; and secondly, where poverty provides an effective means of disguise, despite possible dangers. While serving the narrative purpose, an ever-present aspect of reality was thus impressed on the audience
